


rose garden filled with thorns

by kiriya



Category: Kamen Rider Decade
Genre: Banter, Dates, Dimension Travel, Getting Together, Jealousy, Multi, and the typical decade emotions, literal stolen kisses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-13
Updated: 2019-10-13
Packaged: 2020-12-14 03:10:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21008744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiriya/pseuds/kiriya
Summary: in which yuusuke gets tsukasa(but someone else always comes in lieu)





	rose garden filled with thorns

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cheesethesecond](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cheesethesecond/gifts).

> i set out just to write just tsukasa/yuusuke, but i love shitty exes who can’t mind their own business so …

Across the worlds, there are some constants.

(Besides each other, that is.) 

The history of this world is different than most, however. They learn about Mars, about a divided country, from a museum that Tsukasa’s found himself curator of. The ease with which he steps in the role proves there’s a lot to be said for just pretending to know what you’re doing. 

When it closes, the sun is setting, but it’s closer to twilight than it is to dusk. Yuusuke looks at the moon, and decides that, in this world, it’s sometime between winter and spring. In every direction, there’s a wall, pulsing with ominous red light along the horizon. The streets are quiet, and it’s just the two of them. It’s like that more often nowadays, whenever they’re not in the photo studio. Yuusuke wonders if that’s by design. 

(But no. That can’t be, can’t it?)

Yuusuke turns to smile at Tsukasa while they’re locking up, inviting some sort of snide comment, but instead gets a flash in his face. 

“What’d you do that for?” Yuusuke asks. Spots of color dance at the edges of his vision. 

“Why photograph anything?” 

_ Because you want to keep it _, Yuusuke thinks, but doesn’t say. 

The lights in the street are dim. No one is supposed to be out this late, but they’ve hardly followed the rules of any the worlds they’ve gone to. There’s nothing else around but the faint, red light of the Sky Wall highlighting the sharp edge of Tsukasa’s jaw. 

(Even then, Tsukasa doesn’t look like the devil Narutaki warned him about.)

.

.

.

Tsukasa smacks the photo down on the table in front of him and Natsumi, like a school teacher trying to get the attention of a bored student. It’s dramatic, but it’s Tsukasa, so Yuusuke isn’t taken aback by it.

Yuusuke tilts his head. It’s the photo of him from the other night. Yuusuke’s only mildly surprised to see it’s a good one. Around Yuusuke, the night is an inky blur, but his smile is in clear focus. Kivala would probably compliment him on it. Yuusuke wouldn’t be surprised to see it in a magazine. 

“Huh,” Natsumi says beside him. “Maybe we finally found a world that likes you.”

“Nonsense. It’s because I’m a talented photographer.” 

“The only thing you’re good at is being the worst.” 

Yuusuke snorts, even though he disagrees. Tsukasa actually manages to impress him most of the time. That much is reflected back at him the photo. He really captured the emotion of the moment. 

“I think it’s because I’m a good model.” Yuusuke says. He tries to constrain his smile, but can’t. A grin splits his face. He holds the photo up to his cheek, reflecting mirror images back at Tsukasa. “I look pretty handsome, don’t I?” 

Heat rises in Tsukasa’s cheeks, nearly imperceptible, before he snatches the photo back. “That’s mine.”  
  
“You’re blushing!” 

“What are you talking about?”  
  
Natsumi agrees, “You are.”

“It’s cause I have a nice smile,” Yuusuke brags. It’s hard to forget a complement like that. Especially from Tsukasa, from whom they’re few and far between. “He told me so already.” 

Yuusuke winks at him. Tsukasa pointedly looks away. 

“Your attitude could use work,” he grumbles. 

Yuusuke laughs. “Look who’s talking~” 

“Are you two fighting?” Natsumi asks. 

(_ It’s more like flirting, _Yuusuke thinks.)

“We’re not,” Tsukasa says, stealing the thought from his head, before turning on his heel and leaving. 

.

.

.

The same night, Yuusuke’s just about ready to go to bed, and the lights in the photo studio are low, like candlelight. He doesn’t see Tsukasa coming when he does. He grabs Yuusuke’s arm in hallway as he’s walking towards his room, and Yuusuke looks up. He looks handsome in the dim orange light. His brown eyes, the pouty curve of his lips. In the morning, Tsukasa says, he’s going to the edge of the city. It’s relevant to saving this world, he says, and there, there’s a warehouse full of classic cars. 

(In this world, he knows how to drive them.)

“Come with me,” Tsukasa urges. 

Yuusuke smiles, just for him. “Promise not to kill me?” 

“I’ll think about it.” 

“Can you obey all the laws of the road, too?” 

“Definitely not.” 

.

.

.

In this world, It’s hot outside, like it’s the middle of summer. The sun burns above them, and the sky here is such an intense blue. Tsukasa takes him out again in the downtime between saving the world, and crossing over to another. 

Ice cream dribbles all over his fingers, because neither of them had the foresight to get napkins. Yuusuke raises the cone to his chin and just licks the vanilla where it drips. He and Tsukasa live together, so he’s seen him do worse. 

“Gross.” Tsukasa says anyway, wrinkling his nose. 

Yuusuke grins. “Hey, don’t be like that. Natsumi’s happy we’re getting along better.”

(Yuusuke doesn’t mention Natsumi considers them_ not _getting along an omen of Armageddon. Just as a courtesy to not dampen the mood.)

“Are we?” 

“I think we are. You wouldn’t want to spend so much time with me by yourself otherwise.” 

Tsukasa squirms. He’s_ so _ predictable. He knows Tsukasa is more a man of action, then he is a man of words. But there would be some satisfaction in getting him to say it. 

“I wonder why.”

“You don’t want to get a photo of me again, do you? ‘Cause you can only capture a moment once.” 

“I know that,” he says defensively. “I’m the one who said it.” 

The corner of Yuusuke’s lip curls into a knowing smile. Yuusuke gives him as bright a look as possible. “Hey, Tsukasa?” 

“Yes?”

“Is this a date?”

“… I’ve been waiting for you to catch on.”

Yuusuke grins from ear to ear and nudges his elbow. “You’re impossible. See, I was just waiting for you to admit it. Your face when I asked if Natsumi could come with us… It was so funny.” Yuusuke smiles. “But honestly, I couldn’t wait anymore.” 

“For what?”

Yuusuke smirks. It’s only for a second before he grabs Tsukasa’s face and drags him down to press their lips together. The kiss is vanilla sweet, and the enthusiastic force of it seems to take Tsukasa off guard. It takes him a while to kiss back. When he does, Yuusuke’s ecstatic. Tsukasa’s lips are pliant. full. Pretty much perfect to kiss. 

After, Yuusuke goes to hold Tsukasa’s hand, but Tsukasa snatches it away. Yuusuke blinks, but when he looks at Tsukasa’s face, there’s a bit of a ghost of smirk. Yuusuke goes for it again, fast as a viper, and holds it with all his well-earned strength. 

For all their life is, this is normal to Yuusuke. And Tsukasa has no normal at all. Maybe that’s why they’re good together, because Yuusuke can keep him tethered. 

(That’s why he left his world, because there was nothing to tie him there any longer. With there being no need for Kuuga, and Yashiro being dead. And by the time he saw Yashiro in the world of Agito, the photo studio had him wrapped in.)

He hopes he’s enough to make Tsukasa stay, too.

.

.

.

It’s autumn in this world, if Yuusuke had to guess. It’s neither too hot, or too cold. The sunlight is coming in through the window paints the studio in orange and gold. The world they’re in now seems… Fun. Brighter than most of the worlds they’ve gone too. Definitely less grim, since monsters are just a game here. And more busy. There are always people in the streets, gathering to watch kids around their age jump and dance. It puts him in a good mood. That and kissing Tsukasa. As much as he makes Yuusuke work for it sometimes. 

He’s starting to get used to it here. He thinks he might want to include dancing into his work out routine. 

(In life where nothing is certain, everything feels as it should.) 

(Maybe that’s the calm before the storm)

“So, Tsukasa’s your new boyfriend?” 

Yuusuke jumps. Natsumi and Tsukasa are out investigating a rift between worlds or something (the logic of their circumstances really goes over his head most of the time), and he’s supposed to be alone. 

(Yuusuke would have heard them coming back. They _ always _ make a fuss.) 

“Kaitou,” Why didn’t Kivala tell him someone else was here? Maybe she wanted to scare him, too. Or Kaitou’s just that good at breaking in, but Yuusuke doesn’t want to think that. “Why did you try to scare me?”   
  
Kaitou rolls his shoulders, feigning nonchalance. “I like to keep all of you on your toes. Even places with ‘good’ security are easy to rob because when they get complacent.” 

Kaitou holds up a photo between two fingers. Yuusuke knows what it is without looking, and surges forward to snatch it. But the thief is too quick. And taller than him. 

(Honestly, if everything Yuusuke thinks about Tsukasa and Kaitou’s relationship is correct, he should have seen this confrontation coming.)

“I don’t want to play this game with you, Kaitou,” Yuusuke says. “I know you’re just jealous.”

“Me? Why would I be jealous? I’m doing you a favor, actually. Tsukasa isn’t the person you think he is.” 

“You want to know what I think?” 

“What?” 

“You act this way because you’re hurt. You and Tsukasa had something before, and now he’s forgotten. And you’re mad because he doesn’t care as much as you do.”

Kaitou lowers his chin, and there’s a stormy crackle in his eyes. 

“You want to get under his skin. You hope this game of cat and mouse you’re playing will pull the memories out,”_ But Tsukasa is not half as invested in it as you are, _ Yuusuke thinks, but he doesn’t say. He’s not trying to be mean, after all. He’s not that kind of person. At least he doesn’t think he is. This just can’t be healthy for Kaitou, and Yuusuke cares about him, despite everything. “Honestly, I hope you do.” 

Kaitou snorts and rolls his eyes. “You don’t.” 

Yuusuke’s blood goes a little faster. Kaitou holds everything he knows about Tsukasa as close as his treasure, with an iron grip, and if there's even a small opening, Yuusuke wants to put himself between it. 

“Why? Did he do something bad?” 

“Does it matter if he did?” Daiki asks. His smile is stretched thin. It’s a poor attempt at masking his bitterness. “I thought you knew him.” 

“I do,” Yuusuke insists. “Whatever he did, it doesn’t matter.”

It’s not like Yuusuke’s perfect. He has his regrets -- about his world, about Yashiro -- and whatever Tsukasa’s are, they’ll work through them. Even if there are things in their past they don’t like, neither of them are alone. It’s all about moving forward. Saving the world, protecting smiles. Super hero stuff. 

And no matter what happened in Tsukasa’s past, Yuusuke doesn’t believe Tsukasa is a destroyer, either. He doesn’t believe it even when the multiverse tells him so, so he definitely doesn’t believe it from Kaitou, if that’s what he’s trying to imply. 

“Then why do you need to know?”

Tsukasa deserves to know, Yuusuke wants to say, but even more, he wants to get control of this conversation. To get rid of Kaitou’s defenses, and just have him be.

“Why do_ you _ need to taunt us?”

Kaitou snorts. Smiles. “You say that like I don’t have better things to do...” 

“Do you? Because I think you need our attention. Or maybe just his... I can understand that. You’re like us. Your world rejected you, and you want something to feel connected to. For you, that’s Tsukasa. You’re still hurt, though. Either because he did something, or because he forgot. But whatever happened, that’s in the past.” 

(Kaitou should know he’s worth more than whatever he thinks Tsukasa should see in him. Whatever that may be. Yuusuke has theories.) 

Yuusuke doesn’t pull his eyes away. Kaitou has his arms crossed, chin raised, daring him to keep going. At this angle, his skin reflects the golden tint of the sunlight, and the afternoon shadows make his jaw look sharper. Yuusuke thinks he’d photograph well, if he ever stuck around long enough to let Tsukasa take his picture. 

As if reading his thoughts, Kaitou turns to leave, but Yuusuke grabs his wrist. Even against a thief, his reflexes are fast. Kaitou jerks his arm to take it back, but Yuusuke’s grip is unrelenting. Training so much has nothing but advantages. 

“The photo studio can be your home, too,” Yuusuke tells him. “I think Natsumi would agree.” 

(Even if your world rejects you, Hikari Studios won’t. That much the multiverse can agree on.)

Kaitou’s lip curls. “Who?” 

Yuusuke frowns, and tightens his grip. Kaitou can play dumb all he wants. It won’t stop Yuusuke from offering Kaitou an anchor, try as he might to cut the rope. 

“What do you get out of this?” Kaitou asks. 

“What do _ you _ get out of acting like this all the time? We are your friends. We care about you.” Yuusuke gets the strong impression that not many people do. If they did, he wouldn’t latch onto Tsukasa so much. “You should treasure the people that care about you.” 

Yuusuke used to be hot-headed, too. He still kinda is. He had someone who looked out for him, and he didn’t appreciate them. That’s changed now. Tsukasa appreciates them, more in actions than in words. He stays, most of all. Where does Daiki have to go, if not here? He wonders that more than he’ll ever admit. 

“Sorry if I’m more of a materialist…” 

“You two aren’t that different.” Yuusuke says. They’re both drama queens, is mostly what he means. But even with his barbed attitude, Tsukasa is blank slate, without any bruises to press against. Yuuske doesn’t really get it. He likes to tease too, but he never hides what he’s really feeling, unlike them. “Maybe that’s why you two got along so well in the first place?”

Kaitou yanks again, unsuccessfully, and looks at him like he’s stupid. “‘Getting along’ is one way to put it.” 

“Uh-huh,” is Yuusuke’s dry reply. 

(That does mean at least _ one _ of his theories was correct.)

Yuusuke only sees Kaitou’s smirk for an instant before he leans forward. His kiss lands hard and fast, more like a fist would, but it makes Yuusuke’s blood spike with heat. Everything around Kaitou always feels hotter, probably ‘cause Yuusuke knows he’s so volatile, and that feeling is at its climax now. Like he poked the fire, and it decided to burn him. 

“Why did you do that?” Yuusuke asks, when he pulls away. His head feels fuzzy. 

Kaitou’s lips are swollen from the kiss, brief as it was, and the curve of his smile is characteristically cat-like. 

"First rule of slight of hand,” he says. “Distraction.” 

Yuusuke looks down at his hand. In his shock, he loosens his grip on the thief's wrist. 

“You can’t keep me here,” Kaitou says. “You can’t keep him either."  
  
Yuusuke opens his mouth to respond, but then the door opens behind him. Daiki’s eyes light up the moment Tsukasa enters the room, Natsumi at his side. 

“What are you doing here, Kaitou?” Tsukasa asks, only mildly bemused.

“Talking about you, of course!” 

“What?”

Kaitou ignores Tsukasa. Steps in front Yuusuke, turns on his heel, and gives a cheery wave of his fingers before leaving. He shouldn’t feel unnerved by that, but he is. Kaitou pointedly bumps Tsukasa on the way out. 

“What was that about?” Tsukasa grumbles, rubbing his shoulder.

“You should have invited him to stay for dinner,” Natsumi says. He barely hears her, feeling he's fallen off his axis. “We bought enough for one more person.” 

“I tried,” Yuusuke offers. “He wasn’t interested.”

Tsukasa rolls his eyes, and dumps all the groceries he’s holding onto Natsumi. Her arms are weighed down, and he walks in the living room past Yuusuke. Sprawls himself out on the couch. 

“You’ll never have any luck with that one,” he says. 

When Yuusuke goes to help Natsumi, he still feels off-kilter. Empty-handed. He scowls. Shifts the groceries to one arm, and pats his jacket pocket.

Kaitou never returned his photo.

**Author's Note:**

> will i actually ever write short fic? no. 
> 
> thank you for requesting this! i hope u liked that i got both ships in, hehe. i love sm, and went out of comfort zone with decade! i definitely want to write more now though :)


End file.
